ExpressJet to axe one-third of fall schedule

© ExpressJet

Due to their size - and the cost of flying passengers on a per-seat, per-mile basis - 50-seat or smaller regional jets are particularly vulnerable to fuel prices. ExpressJet, which flies Brazilian-built ERJs, is to cut its fall schedule by a third beginning August 23, reports Forbes.com.

Among the cuts, according to the Arizona Daily Star, is service from Tucson to Austin (AUS), Omaha (OMA), and Reno (RNO).

There is no word on whether the service cuts will prove permanent or not. The carrier says they'll last through November 15 at the earliest.

The carrier's Embraers fly under its own colors, as ExpressJet, and in Continental Express livery. The axed flights are under its own brand name.

Under its own name, ExpressJet's business plan has been predicated on the proposition that it could offer nonstop service between cities which lacked nonstop flights, such as Birmingham (BHM) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU). The idea was that flyers would prefer to go nonstop rather than connecting over a major airline's hub.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler